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“You should be grateful.” That honeyed quality I’d always loved is back in his voice and for the first time, I recognise the gentle press that accompanies it.
Is hecompellingme?
Had this been going on forour entire relationship?How naive had I been? I manage to swallow my groan, gritting my teeth against the emotions bubbling up, focusing instead on my anger to stay tapped into the power sparking from my fingers. Feeling the pressure of his magic in my mind, I’m torn by indecision.
How much does he know about what happened to me? I had told the University, with extreme brevity, about the loss of my gift and my powers. Is he counting on my fae abilities being gone? He wouldn’t know they had begun to return, different as they are.
No one knows.
But also, if he had been managing to compel me for years, and I had been too stupid and happy to be wanted that I hadn’tnoticed, he wouldn’t think my magic would be a roadblock to his control at all.
There are too many variables, too many unknowns, and I can’t seem to scramble a thought about what to do. Darius watches me closely, assessing—I need to dosomething. I send a quick prayer to the Gods for help, like a mental SOS, and tentatively push back at the compulsion prodding at me. Darius’s head cocks to the side, the sneer fading ever so slightly, becoming more shrewd.
“Interesting.” The word hangs in the breeze between us. He seems so unhurried, like he has all the time in the world for whatever he has planned.
“Are you going to explain what’s going on here?” I work to calm my voice, my breathing. I need to focus.
Deep breath in, deep breath out.
Darius goes back to the altar, fussing at the things he has there, withdrawing a thick, leather-bound book from a bag or something hidden behind the stone. It looks ancient, delicate; the pages yellowed and frail. He places it reverently on the slab, stroking a finger over the cover.
“Theo, my darling, we are to bemated. Isn’t that wonderful?” Both hands spread wide on the waist-high altar, he leans forward, a flat, emotionless smile on his face.
He isn’t even trying to hide it anymore.
Dimly, I am almost offended, the pressure of the situation, the insanity of it all sending me over the edge.
“What, and I mean this with all sincerity, Darius, are you fucking talking about?”
I’m met with a scowl and stony eyes.
“Language, Theo. You are a Hivercouer for the Gods’ sake. You should bloody wellactlike one for once!” His lightly tanned skin flushes with rage, his words ending on a broken shout. Taking a moment to collect himself, he breathes deep, smoothing downhis shirt, running a hand over his hair. Physically pulling himself back together.
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the gathering of Woods creatures hanging in the shadows, all watching with interest. A herd of nabras captures my attention, their feathers ruffling like they do when they stalk their prey. They are too far to recognise if they are the herd I am familiar with, but I can only hope so.
If not, I might also be on the menu for whatever is running through their heads. I swallow down the fear of one more potential villain in this scenario and try to get a hold of my panic before it spirals out of control.
From over a kilometre away, the largest, obviously the leader of their herd, locks eyes with me.Help. That knowledge again, communication felt rather than heard.
They are here tohelp me?Maintaining eye contact I give the briefest of nods—nabras’ eyesight is inherently powerful—I know they can see me. My nod is confirmed by the bow of the nabras’s enormous head, their beak snapping once, menacingly. For whatever reason, they wait, holding position in the shadows. Are they waiting for my signal?
“It seems…” Darius’s much calmer voice pulls me back to the moment. “…that I have found myself in a bit of a dilemma, sweet Theo. And you,youare my solution. Don’t you want to help me?”
“Not particularly.” My cheerful taunt only angers him again, his eyebrows flying up before slamming back down in a frown.
“Well, that really is beside the point, now,isn’t it?” He stalks around the side of the altar towards me again, his shoes clipping loudly on the stone.
Not wanting to let him tower over me again, I stand, planting my feet wide, strengthening my stance, crossing my arms over my chest to hide my hands. He still stands over me, until my neck cranes back so I can glare directly in his face.
“Younever even deserved it. None of it—not the money, not the power, not the influence.And Gods, your gifts!Useless. Wasted. But no more. I need your inheritance, Theo. And you, you obviously need someone to show you how to act. Behave. I tried and tried, but youneverlearnt. But maybe now you will. Who knows? And who cares? After we’re mated, and we’ve secured your place back in your family, then you candisappearhowever is necessary.”
Wow. I can feel my eyes widen in shock at the vicious diatribe —not to mentioncasual threats to my life—he literally spits in my face.
“I don’t know if you’ve heard,Darius.”I pump as much venom into my tone as I can muster, that spark in my fingers stretching through my palms up to my wrists, almost unmanageable, searing my skin. “But I’mdisinherited. It all goes to cousin Gerald. Seems like you weren’t the only one whose expectations I failed to live up to.”
His smug smile is back, and I want nothing else in this world but to wipe it off his face, but I don’t have any faith that I could actually manage to overpower him.
“Wrong again, Theo. Your father is ready to welcome you back to the fold.” He pauses on a breath. I really think he enjoys the drama of all of this. “Under the right circumstances, of course.”
